Coming off a 2024 season where Jacksonville Jaguars’ tight end Brenton Strange played a much larger role, he believes there is still a lot more out there for him as he heads into his third NFL season.

“I’m definitely ready for it,” Strange said of playing a key part in Liam Coen’s offense, via the team site, “I have a lot of confidence in myself and I’ve always had a lot of confidence in myself. I feel like I’m always one of the best players on the field. I feel like that’s the mentality I bring.”

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In an offseason that has been full of roster turnover under new GM James Gladstone, Strange is one of the returning players that the organization is very bullish on heading into the 2025 season.

Strange saw more opportunities last season and contributed both as a blocker and a pass-catcher. After having just nine targets as a rookie in 2023, Strange had 54 targets in 2024, catching 40 of those passes for 411 yards with two touchdowns, according to PFF.

“He’ll elevate just by alone getting more reps, and getting him on the field is a good thing for us,” Liam Coen said of Strange via Big Cat Country earlier this offseason. “You can tell he’s hungry, wants to continue to get better, and he showed some really nice things last year, especially after the catch. Doing some nice things of breaking tackles and getting extra yards.”

When an offense has a tight end who can impact the game in multiple ways, such as through the air and in the running game, it adds a level of unpredictability to that unit. Defenders aren’t as easily able to get a beat on what’s coming, based on who is on the field or where the tight end is lined up.

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That well-rounded skill set also pairs well with Coen’s offense, where multiplicity is an important element that will be cultivated. But in order to have that component and the ability to run a variety of plays from just a few personnel groupings, a versatile tight end is needed.

Strange now finds himself sitting at the top of the Jaguars‘ tight end depth chart heading into the upcoming season, and he will play a key role in Coen’s offensive scheme.

“I try to put myself in a position where, ‘If the coaches want me to do this, then this is their best way of thinking we can win,”’ Strange said.

Strange added: “Everything’s a process. Everything that you do, you have to grow through. You have to learn. I looked at it as an opportunity to learn from him, and take pieces of his game and see what I could do to implement it in my game.”

This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jacksonville Jaguars’ TE Brenton Strange ready to increased role